Small device the size of a capsule helps 83-year-old woman escape sudden death

(Dan Tri) - A device as small as a pill is implanted directly into the heart chamber through a catheter, helping an 83-year-old woman escape the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

On November 15, a representative of Hospital 30-4 ( Ministry of Public Security ) said that the hospital had just successfully treated a case of dangerous heart rhythm disorder with a special device.

The patient was an 83-year-old woman (residing in Lam Dong province) with a history of high blood pressure and ischemic heart disease, who was taken to the local hospital for emergency care in a state of fatigue, difficulty breathing, and dizziness.

After being transferred to Hospital 30-4, the patient was directly treated by Dr. Nguyen Quoc Khoa, Deputy Head of the Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology. Here, after examination and necessary tests, the doctor determined that the patient had a high degree of atrioventricular block with prolonged sinus pauses.

Doctors at 30-4 Hospital treat the old woman (Photo: Hospital).

This is a dangerous form of bradycardia that can cause the heart to beat intermittently or even stop beating for a few seconds, causing a lack of blood to the brain leading to fainting or sudden death.

Faced with this critical situation, doctors quickly placed a temporary pacemaker through the vein to maintain the patient's emergency heart rhythm, while consulting to choose the optimal long-term treatment plan.

Dr. Nguyen Quoc Khoa said that in cases of severe bradycardia as above, the most effective and safest treatment is to implant a permanent pacemaker for the patient.

The elderly woman was assigned to have a dual-chamber wireless pacemaker - one of the most modern generations of pacemakers today. This is also the first time the dual-chamber wireless pacemaker implantation technique has been deployed at 30/4 Hospital.

The old lady was prescribed a dual-chamber wireless pacemaker (Photo: Hospital).

Under the guidance of the ultrasound system and fluoroscopy, the interventional team inserted a catheter through the femoral vein into the heart chamber to implant a pacemaker into the patient's right ventricle.

The procedure takes place smoothly in about 45 minutes, ensuring the machine is in the correct position and avoiding the risk of blood vessel damage or dangerous complications for the patient.

After the intervention, the old lady was alert, no longer tired, her heart rate remained stable, and the electrocardiogram no longer showed dangerous long pauses in her heart. Thanks to the new device, the patient was able to sit up and do light activities quickly.

After a few days of treatment, the old lady recovered well and was discharged a few days later with a stable heart rate and a comfortable spirit. “The happiest thing is that after the machine was placed, there was no scar left. The machine is small so it does not cause discomfort in the chest area, I can move freely without worrying about the machine moving,” the patient happily shared.

According to doctors, the advantages of treating arrhythmias with a dual-chamber wireless pacemaker are that it is less invasive, reduces the risk of complications, and results in a quick recovery.

The wireless pacemaker is the size of a pill (Photo: BV).

Compared with the traditional method of placing a wired pacemaker, the patient does not need to have open chest surgery or skin incision, thus avoiding the risk of infection, hematoma, and hemothorax.

In addition, the above technique also helps in aesthetics and comfort. The wireless pacemaker is only the size of a capsule and weighs only about 2 grams, so the patient almost does not feel there is a "foreign object" in the body.

Doctor Khoa added that the dual-chamber wireless pacemaker is highly durable, with a battery life of up to 12 years, helping elderly patients limit the number of surgeries needed to replace the device.

With the successful implementation of this technique, Hospital 30-4 has become one of the pioneers in applying wireless pacemakers, aiming to improve the quality of treatment for patients with slow heart rhythm disorders.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/thiet-bi-nho-bang-vien-thuoc-con-nhong-giup-cu-ba-83-tuoi-thoat-dot-tu-20251115114454255.htm